Electric switch



W. SCHMID ELECTRIC SWITCH May 29, 1934.

Filed Feb. 27, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l frzz/ezz/oh ZUL ZZ Z'QUZ jc/vzid' 5 y 29, 1934- w. SCHMID 1,961,112

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Feb. 27, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH Application February 2'7, 1933, Serial No. 658,776

9 Claims.

This invention relates to electric switches and is of particular utility in providing a foot operated alternating switch for successively and alternatively energizing the bright and tilt filaments of motor vehicle headlights, for example.

The invention aims to provide a simplified and economical structure which will be positive in operation and which will withstand the rough usage to which a foot operated switch is necessarily subjected.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings showing an illustrative embodiment of the invention, in.

which Figure 1 is an elevational view of the improved switch showing a mounting therefor in section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged axial section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partial cross-section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a partial longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a cross-section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2 somewhat reduced; and

Figure 6 is a similarly reduced cross-section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the figures of the draw- I ings, I have shown a mounting 1 which may be the usual wood dash or fioor board of an automotive vehicle. In a suitable position upon the dash-board 1, readily accessible to the foot of the driver of the vehicle, I dispose my improved switch 2 which may comprise a cylindrical metal casing 3 and a cylindrical metal cap 4 telescopically reciprocable over the casing 13. The casing 3 may be radially enlarged at its base to afford a double fianged annular recess 5 which receives the ofifset circular margins 6 of a suitably apertured bracket plate '1 by means of which the switch is secured to the dash-board l, the switch being suitably riveted to the plate '7 by means of the structure just described. The usual countersunk screws 8 may serve to clamp the bracket plate 7 to the dash-board 1, the plate '7 being disposed upon the under-side of the dash-board and the switch 2 projecting therethrough in a suitable opening 9 in the dash, so that the reciprocable cap 4 is accessible to the foot upon the upper side of the dash.

The casing 3 is further extended at its base beyond the plate 7, as here shown, to clamp to the casing an insulating disc 10, as by means of tongues 11 received in peripheral notches 12 in the disc 10 and thereafter bent thereover, as best shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The insulating disc 10 serves as a contact carrier for the fixed contacts 13 and 14 disposed on the interior of the casing of the switch, these contacts being continuations of parallel metallic terminals 15 and 16, respectively, these terminals being projected through the disc 10 upon the interior of the casing and being suitably riveted to the disc. The disc 10 also similarly carries a common metallic terminal 17 which rivets to the inner face of the disc 10 a metallic member 18 which has a pair of integral parallel resilient arms 19 and 20 which are bowed upon the member 18 and extended into the vicinity of the fixed contacts 13 and 1c, respectively, so as to be individually movable against their own resiliency into engagement with these fixed contacts.

To cause my improved switch to function in this instance as an alternating two-way switch, I provide unitary means for moving the spring arms 19 and 20 alternately into engagement with the contacts 13 and l i. As here shown, arranged transversely of the casing 3 is the rivet 21, which is conveniently tubular and has flanged ends 22 which are riveted to the casing in the depression 23 at each side thereof, the rivet extending across the casing suitably spaced from the movable spring contacts 19 and 20 to provide a bearing for a rotatable insulating member en gageable with each of the spring contacts, such as the molded bakelite member 24 which is bored as at 25 to receive the rivet 21 therethrough, the member 2 1 extending from wall to wall of the casing so as to be snugly received therein and rotatable on the rivet 21 but substantially fixed against movement axially.

In accordance with my invention, the means for engaging the movable spring contacts may desirably comprise two wheels keyed to rotate together and having ratchet teeth thereon staggered to alternately engage the movable contacts. In the present embodiment, these two wheels are formed as integral central portions 26 and 2'7, respectively, of the insulating actuator or 100 member 2 1. the wheel 26 having five radial pro- ,iections or teeth 28 thereon equally spaced about its perimeter, and the wheel 2'? having five radial projections or teeth 29 thereon, the teeth 28 and 29 being staggered to jointly form a wheel 105 with ten teeth having alternate teeth in different parallel planes as best shown in Figure 4, located between the spring arms 19 and 20 and engageable respectively with these arms as by means of laterally extended portions 30 and 31 110 of these arms extended into the paths of the teeth 28 and 29, respectively.

When the member 24 is rotated by means p 'esently described and tooth 29, for example, reaches its sector oi rotation nearest the spring arm 20, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the spring arm 20 is moved against its own resiliency into engagement with the contact 1:. At this time, there is no tooth 23 in this same sector, and consequently the spring arm 19, by its own resiliency, is separated from the contact 13. Consequently, a circuit is compl ted, say, from a source of current supply such a battery (not shown) through the common terminal. 17, spring arm as, and terminal 16 which may be con nected with the grounded bright filaments of the vehicle headlights. Similarly, when the member 24 is rotated in its next step, the spring arm 20 is separated by its own resiliency from the contact 14 discontinuing a circuit through the bright filaments and the spring arm 19 is moved by one of the teeth 23 into engagement with the contact 13 closing a circuit through the tilt or dim filaments of the vehicle headlights, which may be connected with the terminal 15.

To rotate the member 24 described, I desirably provide a plunger mechanism reciprocable in one direction by pressure 01' the foot the vehicle driver and automatically reciprocable the opposite direction to return it to its original position. In the present embodiment, the casing 3 is extended in the direction away from its base to form a central reduced turret 32 having a central square opening 33 its end in which is slidably disposed a square metallic shaft 34 which extends through the turret 32 and is riveted as at 35 to the center of the cylindrical cap which is telescopically reciprocable upon the casing 3 over the turret 32. Surrounding the turret 32 and housed within the cap 4 is a compression spring 37 which normally maintains the cap 4 and thereby the shaft 34 in their outermost position, movement of these parts in this direction being limited by stops 33 carried by the inner end of the shaft 34 which engage the shoulder 39 formed between the turret 32 and the inner wall of the casing 3 proper.

The stops 38 are conveni ntly formed as continuations of two bearing plates 40 which are riveted to the inner end of the shaft 34 as by the rivet 41. The plates 49 are extended laterally of the shaft and are struck up to provide aligned bearings 42 upon which are pivoted a pawl 43 having a finger 44 which depends into the vicinity of the teeth, 28, 29 to engage these teeth alternately. The faces of the teeth 28, 29 directed oppositely from the direction of rotation of the member 24 are straight as at 45 to provide an abutment for the inturned end 46 of the finger 44 so that when the pawl is moved inwardly pressing upon the cap 4, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, the member 24 is caused to rotate through a given are of rotation substantially corresponding to the extent of movement of the pawl longitudinally. The pawl pivots as described to accommodate itself to the arcuate movement of the tooth which the pawl engages, and to return the end 46 of the pawl to its original position for engagement with the next tooth, I provide a leaf bow spring 47 disposed between the bearing members 40 and pressing at one end against the shaft 32 and at its other end against the pawl 43 upon the opposite side of the pivot point of the pawl from the finger end 45, thus tending to bring this end in toward the teeth 28, 29 when the pawl is free. To anchor the spring 47 in this position, a lug 48 may be struck thereon to be received in a similarly shaped opening 49 in the pawl 43.

Accidental rotation of the actuator 24 prevented by the frictional engagement of the teeth 28, 29 with the spring arms 19, 20, one or the other of these arms being tensioned against the actuator 24 at all times to permit only the stepby-step rotation of the actuator as effected in this instance by the reciprocating pawl mechanism clescribed.

Furthermore, rotation of the actuator in the wrong direction is positively prevented by the fact that after each rotational step, the edges 51 (Fig. 2) of the portions 30, 31 of the spring arms 19, 20 respectively spring alternately into the path of the flat side 45 of one of the teeth 28, 29. Thus should the pawl 44 have any tendency to drag the actuator in a back-up direction, abutment of an edge 51 with the fiat side 45 of one of the teeth will prevent this.

Abutments 59 may be located on the disc 10 to prevent rotation of the member 18.

If desired switch (not shown) accessible for hand operation may control the current from the battery to the common terminal 17 to discontinue a circuit entirely through the switch 2, as during daytime driving.

Such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the following claims without departing from the invention.

I claim:

1. In a two-way electric switch, the combina tion of a common terminal and a pair of parallel terminals, a metallic member permanently engaged with the common terminal and having a pair 5r resilient arms movable into engagement with the parallel terminals, and means for alternately moving one of the arms into engageinei with one of the parallel terminals while permitting the other arm to be separated by its reslliency from the other parallel terminal including a circuit closing actuator rotatably mounted on a fixed axis above said terminals and resilient arms.

2. In a two-way electric switch, the combina tion of a common terminal and a pair of parallel terminals, a metallic member permanently engaged with the common terminal and having a pair of resilient arms movable into engagement with the parallel terminals, and rotatable means for alternately moving one of the arms into engagement with one of the parallel terminals while permitting the other arm to be separated by its resiliency from the other parallel terminal, said means mounted on a fixed pivot above said terminals and resilient arms.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein the rotatable means comprises a pair of wheels of insulating material having staggered teeth alternatively engageable with the said arms.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein the rotatable means comprises a pair of ratchet wheels of insulating material having staggered teeth alternatively engageable with the said arms, and wherein a reciprocable pawl engages the staggered teeth of the Wheels alternately to rotate them simultaneously, the wheels being fixed so that rotation of one causes rotation of the other.

5. In a two-way electric switch, the combination of a metallic cylindrical casing; an insulating contact carrier mounted therein; three metallic terminals secured to the carrier and projecting upon the inside and outside of the casing; a leaf spring secured to one of the terminals having a pair of resilient parallel arms extending into the vicinity of the other terminals to provide complementary contacts therefor, each said leaf spring being normally separated from its complementary contact by its inherent resiliency; a bearing member disposed transversely of the casing and spaced from said leaf springs; an insulating rotatable actuator carried on the bearing member; a plurality of equally spaced apart ratchet teeth on the actuator disposed alternately in parallel planes and engageable alternately with the resilient arms to press said arms into engagement with their complementary contacts; a metallic shaft having a reciprocal bearing in the opposite end of the casing; a pawl pivoted to the inner end of the shaft and engageable alternately with said teeth to rotate the actuator; and a cylindrical cap secured to the shaft and telescopically reciprocable over the casing.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein the pawl is pivoted to the shaft through the intermediation of bearing plates riveted to the inner end of the shaft and disposed transversely thereof and wherein a leaf spring is disposed between the bearing plates and pressing at one end against the shaft and at the other end against the pawl upon the side of its pivot opposite the free end of the pawl to swing the pawl toward the actuator in its free position.

'7. The structure of claim 5 wherein the pawl is pivoted to the shaft through the intermediation of bearing plates riveted to the inner end of the shaft and disposed transversely thereof, wherein a leaf spring is disposed between the bearing plates and pressing at one end against the shaft and at the other end against the pawl upon the side of its pivot opposite the free end of the pawl to swing the pawl toward the actuator in its free position, and wherein the bearing plates are extended transversely of the shaft to provide stops limiting outward movement of the cap and shaft.

8. An electric switch including a casing, a contact carrier of insulating material closing one end thereof, a shaft mounted to reciprocate axially in the opposite end of the casing, a plurality of spaced apart terminals mounted on the carrier including two terminals equidistant from the axis and an oppositely disposed terminal arranged intermediate the equidistant terminals on the carrier, a current continuing member secured to the intermediate terminal having resilient arms terminating in spaced apart relation over each of the other terminals, an actuator of insulating material mounted to rotate on a fixed axis above said arms provided with means operating upon step-by-step rotation of the actuator for alternately engaging a resilient arm with its corresponding terminal and maintaining the engagement between the steps of rotation, and means mounted on the reciprocating shaft to impart stepbystep rotation to the actuator.

9. In a plunger operated switch, a cylindrical metal casing having a reduced portion at one end and a contact carrier of insulating material closing the other end, a plunger mounted for reciprocation in the reduced end, means for reciprocating the plunger, an. actuator of insulating material mounted for rotation on an axis transverse the casing including two circumferential rows of teeth on each side of the axis of the casing with the teeth in one row in staggered relation to those in the other, means upon the contact carrier engaged alternately by the teeth to continue first one circuit and then another, plates secured on opposite sides of the plunger within the casing proper adapted to engage the restricted portion to limit the upward movement of the plunger, the plates extended at one side of the plunger to provide bearing members for a metallic pawl adapted to engage the teeth of the actuator upon reciprocation of the plunger, said pawl provided at its upper end with ears adapted to embrace the plate extensions and engage the bearings thereon, and a spring in the form of a plate received between said ears having a surface bearing upon the plunger and bent at an angle to engage the top of the pawl to maintain the lower end in engagement with a tooth in one row on the actuator and upon depression of the plunger to engage the adjacent tooth in the other row to impart a step-by-step rotation to the actuator.

WILLIAM SCHMID, 

